STAR THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ALL SAINTS REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL -- December 2013
Rev. Elias’ Long Route to Glen Cove
Nicole Rodi
The Very Reverend Dom Elias Carr was not always thinking about priesthood and certainly never thought he would become a Headmaster. He said if he was not a priest he would have loved to be a professor at a University. But he was given a grace by God to become a Priest. “Everyone wants to know that their life is meaningful and to understand why they are on this earth at this time,” says Fr. Elias. So he wondered what he should do with his life, how he should spend it. When he arrived at Catholic University in 1990, his eyes were opened to worlds about which he knew very little, but which his heart long sought. Fr. Elias was amazed to learn about the Catholic faith and what it revealed to him about his life. It was the right time in his life for him to recognize the treasure that is the Catholic faith; Fr. Elias had it all along but did not see its immense value. This joy opened up in his possibility of a vocation to the priesthood. It made sense to him. He was made to do this.
STAR PHOTO/NICOLE RODI
STAR PHOTO/NICOLE RODI
Fr. Elias reads a book to students in Miss Diffley’s class. It made sense for his life, his personal- Rome, Italy. Fr. Elias came back to live ity, character, interests and dispositions. in Annandale, Virginia and then moved Ultimately, in June 1993 as he was pray- on to Klosterneuberg, Austria. He has ing, he decided to say yes to a priestly also lived in Bergen, Norway and now vocation. A great peace followed that has lives in Glen Cove. The churches he has more or less always been with him. A worked in are Holy Spirit in Annandale, deep peace at the core of his being, not VA; St. Leopold in Donaufeld, Vienna, necessarily one on the level of feelings. Austria; St. Paul in Bergen, Norway; St. Of course, there were doubts and ques- Martin, St. Margaretha and St. Vitus in tions and there still are, but thanks to the Klosterneuburg; Kritzendorf and HöHoly Spirit, these became opportunities flein respectively (three parishes next to to grow in Faith, Hope and Love. He the abbey going along the Danube Rivwas ordained a priest on May 15, 1999. er) and St. Rocco and St. Patrick, Glen Fr. Elias met Fr. Daniel at the seminary Cove. While in Austria, he said he enin 1996 and again when he became a tered Stift Klosterneuburg with the hope Canon Regular of Saint Augustine in that once having become a Canon Regu2002. lar of Saint Augustine, he would be able Before coming to Glen Cove, Fr. to introduce this priestly vocation to the Elias lived and preached all over the United States. He has since been able
about at 4:30 a.m. (or a little later on his day off), prays for half an hour, and then he and the other priests pray together at 5:45 a.m. (Office of Readings and Morning Prayer). Afterward, he has breakfast. At some point, he offers Mass in either parish. Fr. Elias then goes to the school during the school hours and then to St Rocco’s (or during school hours if there is a good reason, such as a funeral or important meeting). At 3:30 p.m. they have a Holy Hour where they pray together and then have about thirty minutes of silence. Afterward, he will take care of work or get some exercise. Then they have dinner and on some evenings he has activities. On weekends, the schedule differs because there is no school. Fr. Elias came to Glen Cove
world. He was born in Manhattan, lived briefly in Westchester and grew up in Syosset. He attended SUNY Binghamton for college and attended graduate school in Washington, DC. He has lived in Arlington, Virginia, moved to a seminary in Philadelphia, and studied in
and All Saints because he wanted to bring the his community, the Canons Regular, to the U.S. and also because Mr. Thompson had retired. Fr. Elias believes this school year is off to a very good start and is pleased with the progress we are making.
to do that. Fr. Elias can speak many languages. He can speak English, German, Norwegian and Italian. He can also read Latin, but cannot have a conversation in it. On a daily basis, this is Fr. Elias’ regular routine. On weekdays, he gets up